A few months ago, we spotted a leaked version of the Google Camera app, version 7.4, on a pre-release Pixel 4a device. Today, version 7.4 of the Pixel camera app is rolling out for users on the Google Play Store, and it brings a few noticeable changes.

Update (6/5/2020 @ 11:47AM EST): Per Rita Khoury from AndroidPolice, it seems that 8X zoom is actually not new for the Pixel 4 series - you just had to set the video quality to 1080p30 to use it. Many people in the community (ourselves included) did not know that 8X zoom for video recording was possible, so here's a heads up that it's available.

8X Zoom for Videos on the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL

First, upgrading to Google Camera 7.4 will enable owners of the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL to record videos at an 8x zoom level. Previously, you were limited to recording at a maximum 6x zoom level. Thanks to Google's Super Res Zoom algorithm, the Pixel 4 can already capture photos at up to 8x zoom levels with minimal loss in quality despite the fact that the phone only has a ~2x telephoto camera.

In order to record at 8x zoom, you can't use the "auto" or "60fps" frame rate options that are available at the 1080p video resolution mode.

8X zoom with Google Camera 7.4 on Pixel 4
Credits to Telegram user @AAmedeus for the screenshot!

Video recording at 4k60 or 4k24 is still not available on this latest Google Camera release, however.

Video Resolution Quick Toggles

Google is it clearer to users what video resolution they'll be recording at in Google Camera 7.4. When you tap the dropdown menu while in the video tab, you'll see new "Full HD (1080p)" and "4K (Ultra-high resolution)" options. In version 7.3, the dropdown only showed the "Flash" and "Frames/sec" options, while the toggle for recording at 4K resolution was only available in the full settings menu.

Finally, in the Manifest, new lines have been added that hint at upcoming support for the Pixel 4a and Pixel 5. The Pixel 4a will be using Google Camera's "2020 mid year" configuration while the Pixel 5 will be using the "2020" configuration.

        <uses-library android:name="com.google.android.camera.experimental2020" android:required="false"/>
<uses-library android:name="com.google.android.camera.experimental2020_midyear" android:required="false"/>

We'll be digging more into this version of the Google Camera app to see if we can uncover details on any new camera features. Version 7.4 is rolling out to users now on the Google Play Store so visit the link below to check for an update.

Google Camera Developer: Google LLC
Price: Free
2.4
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